Etymograph

English

brigand

Brigand comes from Old French brigand ‘foot soldier’, from Italian briga ‘trouble, bother’, and ultimately from Proto-Celtic *brīgos ‘power’.

  1. Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*brīgos‘power’root as named · steps between not traced
  2. Italianc. 1300–presentbriga‘trouble, bother’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400brigand‘foot soldier’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500brigaunt
  5. Englishtodaybrigand

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*brīgos‘power’root as named · steps between not traced
  2. Italianc. 1300–presentbriga‘trouble, bother’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400brigand‘foot soldier’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500brigaunt
  5. Englishtodaybrigand

The story

From Middle English brigaunt, bregaund circa 1400, from Old French brigand (‘foot soldier’) attested from 1421, from Italian briga (‘trouble, bother’), perhaps ultimately of Proto-Germanic or Celtic origin.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *gʷreh₂- ‘heavy’

bar, grave, gravity, brutal, grief, guru, brute, grieve, grievous, gravitate, grievance, aggravate, aggravation, gravitation, gravitas, brut, baryon, barite, 18 more

through Proto-Celtic *brīgos ‘power’

brio, 3 more

Today it means

noun An outlaw or bandit.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Celtic *brīgos / brigand

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